E-cigarette usage in the UK has tripled

The number of people using electronic cigarettes in the UK has tripled over the past two years. An estimated 2.1 million people are now choosing to vape. E-cigarettes have grown in popularity since their invention by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik in 2003. 

Electronic cigarettes don’t contain any tobacco and are an alternative to smoking. They work by heating an e-liquid inside the device which can then be inhaled and exhaled in a similar way to smoking. The technology behind e-cigarettes is constantly evolving, the first generation of devices were bulky and didn’t always deliver a sufficient nicotine ‘hit’ that people switching from smoking traditional cigarettes wanted.  

There are now a huge range of devices and different types of e-liquid that can be vaped and the UK’s first vaping bar opened in London in April this year. 

Listed as one of the top ten world changing technologies in a report by analysts at investment bank Citi, they are now a popular alternative to smoking. A survey in 2010 by YouGov found that only 8.2% of current or ex-smokers had tried electronic cigarettes, now in 2014 more than 51.7% have tried an e-cigarette.

Hitting the headlines regularly, the term ‘vape’ was announced as the 2014 Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries following in the footsteps of last year’s word ‘selfie’. 

E-cig and vape have also been added to the Oxford English online dictionary this year, the new words were picked because of their increased use on social media and widespread use in English.  Electronic cigarette was added to the dictionary earlier in 2012.

Last year it was announced by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority) that electronic cigarettes would be regulated as medicines starting from 2016. They identified significant variations in the levels of nicotine in some electronic cigarette products and advised that a standardised form of testing and regulation was needed. 

Intellicig are an electronic cigarette brand based in Lancashire. Proud to be British they manufacture their own brand of e-liquid called ECOpure in their bioscience facility in Manchester. Keeping ingredients minimal their ECOpure Regular only contains three ingredients. Intellicig are completely transparent with the ingredients they use and the level of testing that goes into their products.

A recent e-cigarette survey found that 79% of the people who took part didn’t know where their chosen e-liquid was manufactured and 72% didn’t know what ingredients were included in their e-liquid. Whilst it is clear electronic cigarettes are continuing to increase in popularity and dominate the tobacco industry it seems that there is still education needed so that people know what ingredients and testing are being used by their chosen brand.